THE CHAMPLAIN INSTITUTE Summer 2020 at College of the Atlantic November 3—What’s at Stake? PROGRAM WELCOME TO THE 2020 CHAMPLAIN INSTITUTE We just don’t talk anymore. And by “we” I mean liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, and often not even factions in the same party—right and far right, centrist left and progressive. What’s worse is that we also don’t listen—or read, or understand, or seek out opinions and ideas that differ from our own. It seems that with every news cycle, each side distrusts the other more. We read our journals and papers, scroll through our algorithmically-curated social media feeds, and struggle to understand how anyone could see it any differently. How could they, the other side, get this so wrong? How are they, the other side, going to spin this one? No issue in American life is immune to fervent partisan reaction: the COVID response, the media, trust in scientists, whether climate change is real, im- migration, the scope of the Second Amendment—the list is endless. Take, for instance, trust in the media. The Pew Research Center, which has been studying political polarization in America for years, found that since late March to early May, “the share of Republicans who view the COVID-19 outbreak as a major threat to the nation’s health dropped nine points, from 52% to 43%, while views on this issue among Democrats increased slightly from 78% to 82%. Democrats are now nearly 40 percentage points more likely than Republicans to consider the coronavirus a major threat to the health of the population.”1 1 pewresearch.org/science/2020/06/03/partisan-differences-over-the-pandemic-re- sponse-are-growing That political divide is a deep and growing chasm. But we’re not just becom- ing more and more partisan. We’re becoming more and more uncivil towards one another and feel more threatened and angry. We’re hunkering down and blocking our ears. Bret Stephens of the New York Times recently wrote: “There is a spirit of ferocious intellectual intolerance sweeping the country… Contrary opinions aren’t just wrong but unworthy of discussion. The range of political views deemed morally unfit for publication seems to grow ever wider.” This intolerance is not only hurting the fabric of civil society, our democratic processes, and any possibility of civil discourse, but it also seems to be hurt- ing us personally. Data from Beyond Conflict, an organization that promotes reconciliation in conflict areas, show that “Americans feel ‘dehumanised’ by the opposing party—a sentiment often associated with political violence—at roughly the same level as Israelis and Palestinians viewed each other during the Gaza War in 2014.”2 That is shocking. What can be done? There are signs of hope, or rather studies in hope. All you need is 526 voters, a long weekend, and a conference center in Dallas. Stanford’s Center for Deliberative Democracy in conjunction with Helena, an NGO that works on seemingly intractable societal problems, and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago designed an historic political experiment called America in One Room. This past September, they gathered a represen- tative sample of the entire American electorate “in all its political, cultur- al, and demographic diversity.”3 Over the course of a long weekend, the participants discussed five central issues to the 2020 election: healthcare, the economy and taxes, the environment, foreign policy, and immigration. The executive summary of the results states: “There were dramatic changes of opinion. The most polarizing proposals, whether from the left or the right, generally lost support, and a number of more centrist proposals moved to the foreground. Crucially, proposals that were farther on the right typically 2 economist.com/open-future/2019/03/15/our-politics-fails-us-so-heres-what-to-do 3 cdd.stanford.edu/2019/america-in-one-room/ 4 cdd.stanford.edu/2019/america-in-one-room-results/ lost support from Republicans and proposals that were farther on the left typically lost support from Democrats. It seems our divisions are not immune to deliberation.”4 What’s more going in, only 30% said they thought American Democracy worked well. At the end of three days, that figure doubled. Research from More In Common, an advocacy organization devoted to countering extremism, bears these findings out. As part of its ongoing investigation into the root causes of political polarization, More in Common studied whether Republicans and Democrats could separate perception from reality. On issues including climate change, patriotism, sexual assault, police conduct and more, they asked thousands of Americans what they themselves believed and what they estimated people on the other side believed. Their conclusion? “Americans have a deeply distorted understanding of each other. Overall, Democrats and Republicans imagine almost twice as many of their political opponents hold views they consider ‘extreme’ as they actually do. Even on the most controversial issues in our national debates, Americans are far less divided than most of us think.”5 How do we fix this perception gap? We need to start talking. We need to start listening. College of the Atlan- tic’s Champlain Institute wants to be part of the solution. Let’s talk about it together. Lynn Boulger PS. I cite direct sources for the America in One Room experiment, but do read the NYT article about it, which also has portraits of every participant. It is fascinating. nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/02/upshot/these-526-voters-rep- resent-america.html 5 perceptiongap.us/ The 2020 Champlain Institute November 3—What’s at Stake? Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31 The Champlain Institute is a week-long ideas forum and exchange. Each summer, COA hosts leaders from around the country and the world to share their expertise on press- ing issues of our time. This year, we explore the future of US diplomacy, climate change policy, income inequality, national security, the Second Amendment, the Supreme Court, coronavirus, and other issues that will be critical national topics leading up to the presidential elections in November. To register, visit www.coa.edu/ciregister. SCHEDULE MONDAY, JULY 27 5:00 PM An Evening with Hillary Rodham Clinton Healthcare, national security, the environment, America’s leadership role in the world, and the state of our diplomatic corps are all issues that will be affected by the decisions we make on November 3. Join 2016 Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as she discusses with historian Ted Widmer the consequences before us as we vote in the next election. Introduced by: Ambassador Philip Lader TUESDAY, JULY 28 9:30 AM Addressing National Threats and Emergencies COVID-19 is the latest disaster to challenge the US government, US businesses, and the lives of every American. National threats and emergencies range from climate change, cyber threats, and terrorism to natural disasters and pandemics. How well does the US government prioritize and prepare for these risks and how well do they respond when there is an emergency? What role and responsibilities do state and local governments and the private sector have in preparing for these challenges? These topics will be the focus of discussion between Nathaniel Fogg, former Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Counselor to the Administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Nick Dowling, founder and CEO of IDS Internation- al, a firm that helps the US government handle complex national security challenges ranging from cyber warfare to COVID-19. Introduced by: Arthur Martinez TUESDAY, JULY 28 11:00 AM How to Unite the United States—Lessons from Lincoln Ted Widmer’s new book, Lincoln on the Verge, tells the story of America’s greatest pres- ident and the obstacles he overcame even before he could take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural address. Widmer will talk with COA professor Jamie McKown, also a Lincoln scholar, about similarities and differences between Lincoln’s divided country and ours today. Introduced by: Philip Kunhardt TUESDAY, JULY 28 5:00 PM Call Me American Abdi Nor Iftin was five when the civil war began in Somalia. As the years went on, amidst the famine and the daily shelling of the war, he went to school and scrambled to make money to help his family. Evading conscription by al-Shabaab while secretly filing stories for NPR under penalty of death, he stayed in Somalia until he had no choice but to flee to Kenya. While there, he had an incredible stroke of luck in 2014: he won the Diversity Visa Lottery. His story was chronicled on This American Life: “Abdi and the Golden Ticket”. Nor Iftin will talk with Frances Stead Sellers, senior writer on the America desk at the Washington Post, about immigration, being a refugee, and his life in America. Introduced by: Ambassador William Eacho WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 9:30AM Extremism in the 21st Century September 11, 2001 ushered in the threat of violent extremism in this century. Since then, we have not only seen a two decade long war on jihadist terrorism, but the rise of extremist politics in Western democracies. White nationalism on the right, social- ism on the left, and hostility to the “establishment” are increasingly part of our poli- tics. Join us for a talk on the challenge of extremism with Jasmine El-Gamal, Atlantic Council senior fellow and former Middle East advisor at the Department of Defense, and Nick Dowling, founder and CEO of IDS International. Introduced by: Lynn Boulger WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 5:00 PM An Evening with Kay C. James What are the principles of conservative thought and how do they shape policy in America today? What are the main differences between progressives and conserva- tives? The Heritage Foundation is dedicated to formulating and promoting conser- vative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.